


Shards of the stars

by Stonebounce



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Erin Hunter, F/F, F/M, Warrior Cats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 21:39:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16751953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stonebounce/pseuds/Stonebounce
Summary: Tawnypelt is the best grandmother





	1. Allegiances

**Thunderclan**

Thunderclan is the clan that has been hit the hardest by the cold weather aside from Riverclan. They have lost many of their warriors, and are now a much smaller clan. The old deputy, Squirrelflight, was killed defending her home from a badger attack, along with her son Lionblaze. Many others died as well with the deadly tide greencough that swept through the clan. They are also fighting Riverclan over territory.

The clan is now focused on survival. All the elders have passed away, so the whole clan is constantly out hunting and trying to eke a living from the brutal landscape. The whole clan dotes on Daisy and Rosepetal, who are seen as beacons of hope.

The clan still maintains a camaraderie, but are much more focused than usual. This is exemplified best by their new deputy, Ivypool. Ivypool is a focused and stern deputy and strategist, and a great help to Bramblestars leaderships in these troubled times. She can be a bit cold, but she is what the clan needs right now.

Bristlepaw is Ivypools daughter, a scrappy little apprentice. She looks up to her mother greatly and wants to be just like her. She likes her father, though she finds him overprotective at times. Bristlepaw longs for adventure and sometimes looks beyond the border wistfully.

Leader:

Bramblestar-Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy:

Ivypool-Silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Medicine cats:

Jayfeather- Gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Alderheart-Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches and one blue eye  
Apprentice, Thriftpaw a dark grey she-cat with blue eyes

Whitewing- White she-cat with green eyes

Birchfall- Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Berrynose- cream colored tom with a stump for a tail and amber eyes

Cinderheart- Grey tabby she-cat and blue eyes

Poppyfrost-pale tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes

Lilyheart-small, dark tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes  
Apprentice, Flippaw, a light brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
Bumblestripe- very pale grey tom with black stripes and blue eyes

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with petal-shaped white patches and yellow eyes

Cherryfall- ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Ambermoon- pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice, Bristlepaw, a light grey she-cat with yellow eyes

Stormcloud- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Hollytuft-Black she-cat with green eyes

Fernsong-Yellow tabby tom with yellow eyes

Leafshade-Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Sparkpelt-orange tabby she-cat with green eyes

Twigbranch-gray she-cat with green eyes

Plumflower-Black and ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Eagleswoop-Ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Snapjaw-Golden tabby tom with blue eyes

Flybounce- Stripped grey tabby she-cat with green eyes

Queens:  
Daisy- long-furred cream she-cat with blue eyes from the horseplace

Rosepetal-Dark cream she-cat with green eyes, in the nursery with Bumblestripes kits

Elders-None

**Shadowclan**

Shadowclan has been treated harshly by the chilling winter along with every other clan. They are getting by. Shadowclan has been mainly disease-free despite the lack of prey. They have lost the well respected warrior Tawnypelt due to greencough, but no one else. The clan is pulling together to get through this time. Most cats are acting much more emotionally open with their clanmates than the guarded Shadowclan cats usually do. They seem to have realized the fragility of their lives and are making the most of the time they have. Most cats are pretending everything is fine since Shadowclan cats are far too stubborn to admit it when they are weak.

Cloverfoot has turned out to be a fun and competent deputy. She was placed in charge of mentoring one of Tigerstar’s kits which caused some naysayers to say that Tigerstar is being biassed towards his own kin. There are quite a few apprentices being trained at this time. They are focussing on training for hunting. Even this battle hungry clan has put all its resources into tracking down food so they can survive.

Lightpaw is a senior apprentice who is soon to become a warrior. She’s a loud, competitive she-cat. She is the daughter of the Shadowclan leader Tigerheart and an ex-Thunderclan cat named Dovewing. Lightpaw is half- clan, but her father is doing his best to make the clan forget it. This blatant favoritism bothers Lightpaw, and she craves a way to prove herself fairly.

Leader:

Tigerstar-Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy:

Cloverfoot-Grey tabby she-cat with pale green eyes  
Apprentice: Pouncepaw- Grey she-cat with amber eyes

Medicine cats:

Puddleshine-brown tom with white splotches and light blue eyes  
Apprentice: Shadowpaw-dark grey tabby tom with amber eyes

Warriors

Whorlpelt-Gray-and-white tom with green eyes

Strikestone-Brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes

Stonewing-White tom with dark blue eyes

Snowbird-pure white she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Lightpaw-Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Scorchfur-Dark grey tom with slashed ears and amber eyes

Flowerstem- Silver she-cat with dark blue eyes  
Apprentice: Sunpaw-brown and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Snaketooth- Honey-colored tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Hollowpaw-Black tom with green eyes

Slatefur- Sleek grey tom with green eyes

Sparrowtail-Large brown tabby tom with green eyes

Berryheart- Black and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Hoppaw- Calico she-cat with amber eyes

Yarrowleaf- Ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice: Spirepaw, a black and white tom with blue eyes

Dovewing, pale grey she-cat with green eyes

Antwhisker-Small tom with a brown-and-black pelt and amber eyes  
Apprentice: Flaxpaw- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Cinnamonrose- brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Blazeflight-White-and-ginger tom with amber eyes

Gullcall-White she-cat with blue eyes

Conepuddle-White and grey tom with blue eyes

Frondfreeze- Grey tabby she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

Grassheart- Pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. In the nursery with Stonewings kits

Elders:

Ratscar- Scarred, skinny dark brown tom

Skyclan- Shards of the stars info  
Skyclan has been troubled by the cold, but they have come up with some solution for the problem that the other clans would scorn. Being an accepting clan that is made out of a lot of Kittypets, they do not judge too harshly if a cat comes back from the twolegplace spelling of twoleg food. Leafstar is mostly focussed on the survival of the clan.

Skyclan lost Dewspring due to a bout of greencough. A lot of cats mutter about it being because he slipped off to visit his sick brother Finleap in Thunderclan. Whatever the reason for his death, the clan mourns him.

Skyclan currently has no apprentices, and the younger warriors do their duties. Everyone hopes Violetshine’s kittens grow up and become apprentices soon. It is hard for young kits in the cold, and Macgyver offered to take the two kits to the twolegplace to get them warm. Their mother was raised in Shadowclan and was very against it.

Pidgeonsnout is an opportunistic, snide young tom. He and his siblings have made the most out of the cold. He runs off to the twolegplace often. When he is at the clan he does apprentice duties as he is a young warrior in a clan without any apprentices. He isn’t a fan of that and would rather be listening to elders stories. He takes his duties seriously but wouldn’t mind an escape to something new….

Leader:

Leafstar- brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy:

Hawkwing-dark grey tom with yellow eyes

Medicine cats:

Frecklywish-mottled light brown tabby she-cat with spotted legs and pale green eyes

Fidgetflake- Black and white tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Sparrowpelt-dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Macgyver- Black and white tom with yellow eyes

Plumwillow- dark grey she-cat with amber eyes

Sagenose- pale grey tom with blue eyes

Harrybrook-grey tom with amber eyes

Blossomheart- ginger-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Sandynose-stocky light brown tom with ginger legs and blue eyes

Rabbitleap-brown tom with yellow eyes

Bellaleaf- pale orange she-cat with green eyes

Reedclaw- small pale tabby she-cat with green eyes

Mintfur- grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Nettlesplash- fluffy pale brown tom with yellow eyes

Tinycloud-small white she-cat with blue eyes

Tree: yellow tom with amber eyes

Necternose- brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Sunnypatch-ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Gravelpounce- tan tom with amber eyes

Fringecloud-white she-cat with brown splotches and blue eyes

Pidgeonpuff- Grey-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Quailsnout- white tom with crow black ears and blue eyes

Palelight- Black and white she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:

Violetshine- black and white she-cat with yellow eyes (Mother of Nettlekit, a black and grey she-kit, and Chivekit, a tortoiseshell she-kit)

Elders:

Fallowfern- pale brown she-cat who has lost her hearing

**Riverclan**

Riverclan has been the clan that has been the most devastated by the cold. The Lake and streams have all frozen over and the clan is struggling to find prey. They lost their deputy and leader in the same span of time from Greencough. Duskfur quickly rose to power and was given 9 lives by Starclan. Some in the clan still doubt her, but she has seized onto power and is a powerful leader. She appointed the ambitious Shimmerpelt as her deputy and the two of them are presenting a strong face for their weak clan.

Due to the lack of prey, this clan is starving to death. They are forced to hunt on land, not a skill that Riveclan cats are very good at. They are trying to expand their borders into Thunderclan territory since it is so rich in land prey. The Thunderclan territory is on the other side of the lake, but with the lake frozen over its easy to travel over there. Thunderclan is so decimated by disease that they are the only clan weak enough for Riverclan to attack. Deskstar’s leadership has proven to be a warlike one.

Cypresspool is the daughter of Lakeheart and Lizardtail. She is a young and prominent warrior in the clan. She is fun loving and kind and is focussed on keeping her clan alive. She has taken part in the raids on Thunderclan, though it hurts her tender heart. The clans are truly in a deadly time and Cypresspool doesn’t know what to do to fix it.

Leader:

Duskstar-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy:

Shimmerpelt- Silver she-cat with blue eyes.

Medicine cats:

Mothwing dappled golden she-cat with amber eyes

Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Warriors:

Mintfur-light grey tabby tom with green eyes

Minnowtail-Dark grey-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Podlight-long furred gray-and-white tom with yellow eyes  
Beechpaw-Dark brown tom with blue eyes

Heronwing-dark gray-and-black tom with blue eyes

Lizardtail-light brown tabby tom with blue eyes and Siamese markings  
Hailpaw-light grey she-cat with yellow eyes

Havenpelt-black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Sneezecloud-gray-and-white tom with amber eyes

Brackenpelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Jayclaw-gray tom with amber eyes

Owlnose-brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Icewing- white she-cat with blue eyes

Cypresspool-brown and white she-cat with hazel eyes and Siamese markings

Waverunner- Silver and white she-cat with green eyes

Nightbriar- Dark grey she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:

Curlfeather-pale brown she-cat with green eyes, mother of Owlnoses kits. Brinekit, a brown tabby she-kit with green eyes, and Swampkit, a light brown tom kit with green eyes.

Elders:

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Windclan**

  
Windclan has been faring well, even with the deadly cold. The prey is running well enough to survive. The moor offers no protection from the cold but the cats have taken to sheltering underground in the abandoned tunnel system. Heathertail has tasked herself with clearing it out and starting tunneling again with Harestars permission. Many cats are now hunting in the tunnels, and most of the clan sleeps in the burrowed out space beneath the camp that Heathertail created from a fox burrow. Heathertail has taken Saffronpaw as her tunneling apprentice. Oatclaw and Featherpelt are also interested in becoming tunnellers after their first litter is born.

Windclan has been so successful they have even given some prey to Riverclan. The other clan is in their dept and the two are in good standing. With Thunderclan too weak to pose a threat, Windclan is safe.

Brindlewing is the daughter of Breezepelt and Heathertail and a very well respected member of the clan. She is a stern warrior that seems much older then what she actually is. She doesn’t have many close friendships within the clan aside from her sister Smokehaze. She is cordial with everyone but is not focused on making friends. What she wants most is to become deputy someday.

Leader:

Harestar- brown-and-white tom with yellow eyes

Deputy:

Crowfeather- Dark grey tom with blue eyes

Medicine cats:

Kestrelflight-mottled grey tom with white splotches and yellow eyes

Warriors:

Nightcloud-black she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Parsleypaw- small grey and brown she-cat with green eyes

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Saffronpaw- Golden-brown tom with green eyes.

Brindlewing-mottled brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Smokehaze- grey she-cat with blue eyes

Gorsetail-Very pale grey-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws and amber eyes

Crouchfoot-ginger tom with amber eyes

Sedgewhisker- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Larkwing- pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Fernstripe- grey tabby she-cat with green eyes

Slightfoot- Black tom with white flash on his chest and amber eyes

Oatclaw-pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Hootwhisker- dark grey tom with amber eyes

Queens

Featherpelt- grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. Expecting Oatclaw’s kits.

Elders:

Whisketnose-light brown tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat


	2. Prologue

“Shove over Pouncekit!” Lightkit mewed, an edge in her voice. “We’ll never explore all of Shadowclan territory with you moving that slow!”

Pouncekit batted Lightkit with her paw playfully, but let her sister pass.

Lightkit’s eye’s widened as she looked out at the Shadowclan territory as she stumbled into a clearing. Huge pines towered above them. There was a bright moon up above and Lightkit could see every detail of the scene right in front of her. Pine needles littered the ground and a mouse was rooting for foot in some roots. Lightkit could see endless tall pines looking down from her position on the hill. If she narrowed her eyes she could see the shimmering of a lake.

“Isn’t is beautiful!” She mewed, awestruck. The pines were so imposing in the darkness. She had never been out alone so long. 

“Yeah, I guess.” Pouncekit mewed, licking at her foreleg. Pouncekit didn’t seem as interested in it. Lightkit frowned. They had escaped Dovewings watchful gaze to get out here. It had been a lot of trouble sneaking out of camp.

“We might get in trouble!” Shadowkit mewed, his amber eyes darting around nervously.

“We’re just looking around!” Lightkit argued, flicking her brothers side with her brown tabby tail. “We went all over the place when we were travelling with mom and dad. Plus we are going to be apprentices soon! Then we are going to be warriors! Shadowclan warriors! Shadowclan warriors are the strongest warriors in all the forest!”

“I think mom and dad would have been against us wandering out here at night.” Pouncekit laughed, batting at some pine needles above her head.

“Mom and dad snuck out around the territories all the time.” Lightkit said, unrelenting. Her father had taught her to never back down from an argument. “If it was bad to do they wouldn’t have done it!”

Lightkit tore her attention away from her siblings and narrowed her eyes at the mouse across the clearing. She carefully started stalking towards it. She hadn’t learned how to stalk prey properly. For now all she could do was clumsily copy a move she had seen a warrior doing. She carefully walked towards the mouse, keeping all her weight on her haunches. The mouse heard her coming when she was a fox length away and darted back towards it hole.

Lightkit broke into a run, but it was no use. “Mouse-dung” she said, the only curse she knew. Snowbird had said it one day in the nursery when she thought she wasn’t listening.

“Lets go back to camp!” Lightkit said, trying to sound like a leader. Her siblings didn’t seem to care if they went or stayed. Even the normally energetic Pouncekit looked asleep on her paws.

Lightkit smiled at her littermates. Being out here reminded her of the earlier years of her life. Lightkit and her littermates had been raised outside of the clans. Her parents were Tigerstar and Dovewing of Shadowclan. They had not always been of Shadowclan. Lightkit had been raised away from the clans, since her mother had been a Thunderclan cat. They had run away from the clans to start a new life, but had came crawling back to Shadowclan when they missed the life of a warrior. Lightkit was glad to be a warrior, even if it was less free then being a rouge.

Lightkit took a big breath of air. Sometimes she felt a little bit constricted in the camp. It was nice to get out for a little bit.

A faint growling noice startled Lightkit. Her thick fur fluffed up as something emerged from a burrow in front of them.

It was something she had never seen before. It had black and white spotting that reminded her of Spirekits, but it was 3 times as large as an adult cat. Its yellow eyes blazed with malice as it advanced on the three young cats.

The monster triggered a long suppressed memory in Lightkit. When she had been a rogue her parents had settled down with a group of cats not of the clans. One of them liked to tell them stories. She always got a little bit overzealous and forgot how young the kits where when Dovewings back was turned. One time she had told them a tale of a huge black and white monster called a badger that gobbled up naughty kits as prey. Lightkit had had trouble sleeping that night. 

Lightkit backed up so that she was in front of her siblings. Should she stay and fight? Should she run? The forest was full of possibilities, but all of them were dangerous. Lightkit was large for her age but in this moment she felt very small.

A loud caterwaul pierced through the forest. Lightkit jumped surprise and a ginger, black, and white shape emerged from the bushes and threw itself at the badger. The badger roared back and Lightkit screwed her eyes shut instinctively. She didn’t want any of this to be real.

Lightkit took a big breath and opened her eyes a sliver. A warrior couldn’t be scared. Her eyes snapped open all the way as she recognized the tortoiseshell shape to be Tawnypelt. Tawnypelt was on top of the badger, biting into its neck and scratching it with her hind legs.

The badger cried out in pain and swung its body back and forth. The kits savior was sent flying in the air. The monster lashed out as she fell towards the ground, digging its claws into her shoulder.

Tawnypelt quickly got to her feet and stared at the badger like she was going to tear is limb to limb and enjoy it. Lightkit didn’t doubt her. Her grandmother was one of the most formidable warriors in Shadowclan, even in her advanced age.

Tawnypelts turned to the kits, and her gaze softened. “We need to run.” She mewed, jerking her tail in the opposite direction of the badger. Killing the filth that spread onto their lands was important, but so was keeping kits safe.

Lightkit started to running, feeling Pouncepaw and Shadowpaw on her heels. Tawnypelt soon cough up to them with her long strides. They all ran together out of danger.

“Thank goodness I was out night hunting!” Tawnypelt mewed as she ran, before mrowing in laughter.

The cat had the audacity to laugh when Lightkit felt more terrified then she had ever been! Tawnypelt finally stopped, allowing the kits to catch their breath. Pouncekit and Shadowkit where crouching together a little ways away, obviously terrified. Tawnypelt purred down at them all as someone who had faced much worse and survived.

“I’ll need to report that to my son!” The old she-cat mewed, referencing Lightkit’s father. Tigerstar was the leader of Shadowclan and the one who needed to know about dangerous badgers on his territory.

“I hurt you.” Lightkit mewed, looking at the scratch on the older she-cats shoulder. .

“There are worse ways to get hurt then in a small squirmish saving my kin.” Tawnypelt mewed, smiling down at Lightkit

“It was Lightkits idea to go out.” Pouncekit mewed. Lightkit hunched her shoulders. She wished her sister hadn’t tattled on her but it was true.

“I’m sorry I went out Tawnypelt, I just wanted to see more of the territory, I know the rules say I’m too young to go out alone!” Lightkit said, not taking a breath as she explained herself.

“You are very young. ” Tawnypelt mewed in agreement.

“I’m not young enough for this to be alright! I’m nearly an apprentice! I should have known better then to sneak out of camp with my siblings.” Lightkit mewed, her voice getting higher and higher. All her decisions up to this point seemed so stupid 

“You are very young Lightkit. Its alright.” Tawnypelt mewed, in a tone that refused to be argued with.

Lightkit stared at the slash with wide eyes. The Badger had taken out a big tuft of Tawnypelts ginger fur and left her with a gaping wound.

Just this morning she had been curled up in Dovewing’s fluffy side. All this blood didn’t belong in her world.

Lightkit would rather be the one with the cut. She knew from the tales of great warriors that they didn’t let other cats be wounded for there own mistakes.

“I’m so sorry. I won’t be able to forgive myself.” Lightpaw mewed.

“You are going to have to forgive yourself. Cats get hurt all the time. It is the way of a warrior. I’ll see our medicine cat and I’ll be fine.” Tawnypelt mewed softly. “You need to know this if your going to be a Shadowclan warrior.”

“I’m not even a Shadowclan kit.” Lightkit mewed softly “I’m half-clan! Not only that, but I was raised as a rouge!” Lightkit said, not paying attention to Tawnypelts words.

Lightkit let out a little gasp as she realized something. “It was me acting like a rouge that brought us out here on my own! How am I ever going to be a Shadowclan cat.”

“Lightkit, listen to me.” Tawnypelt mewed, her voice gruff. Lightkit leaned closer to catch every word her grandmother said.

“I was born a Thunderclan cat with an evil father who murdered many beloved cats. Even in Shadowclan I was judged and doubted every paw-step I took. Do you want to know what I did?”

Lightkit nodded. Her siblings where too far away too hear this. She was the only one privilege to this information.

“I proved them all wrong.” Tawnypelt mewed, her breath hitting Lightkits muzzle. “You need to prove yourself, Lightkit.”

Lightkit nodded. As she and her siblings helped Tawnypelt limp back to camp and towards the scolding that awaited them there, she repeated that phrase over and over.

“I have to prove myself.” The little kit whispered, her eyes shining bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tawnypelt is the best grandmother


	3. Chapter 1

Lightpaw shifted back and forth on her haunches, peering out through the bush she was crouched behind. The snow was cold beneath her soft pink pads, but she refused to move. Any sound she might make might cause the heavy bows of her hiding place to drop snow on the ground and startle her future prey.

The bush was right in front of a mouse burrow which Lightpaw had scented earlier. It was nearing dusk, and the mouse was bound to venture out soon. “It must be as hungry as I am.” Lightpaw reflected, keeping her amber eyes fixed ahead of her.

There would be a time where Lightpaw would not have waisted so much time to hide behind a bush. She would have found some other prey. That was when the sun had warmed her fur and pride had warmed her heart. Right now every breath was sharp with cold, and she knew she would wait by this bush for as long as she had to. This winter was the longest the clans had ever seen. The clans would have to wait it out just like she had to wait out this mouse.

Lightpaw tensed as a flash of movement caught her eye. She almost jumped in excitement as a pale tiny nose emerged out of the mousehole. The mouse’s black eyes were wary, but Lightpaw was downwind. The mouse took a few more sniffs before darting away from its hole and towards the bush where Lightpaw was hiding.

Lightpaw didn’t hesitate as she leaped out of the bushes, sending snow flying everywhere. She stretched out her paws, letting out a caterwaul as she leaped towards her prey.

She felt her paws graze the mouses back, but before she could put all her weight onto her prey it twisted around out of her grip and bit her paw. Lightpaw slashed out, intent on hooking the prey back in her grasp, but the mouse was too quick. It darted under a nearby pine root.

Lightpaw through herself at the roots, clawing and scratching and trying to get to the mouse. It was no use. The mouse was too well protected.

Lightpaw still stared at the mouse intently. It was tiny, obviously starving. They were all starving in this cold. Lightpaw herself hadn’t eaten in two days. The food first went to the queens and elders of the clan, not useless apprentices like her. She had waited in that bush for half the morning, only to fail utterly. 

She shook out her thick brown tabby pelt, giving her chest fur a few licks. Lightpaw looked down at her paw, frowning as she noticed a small cut. The mouse had done more damage to her then it had to her.

“Wow look at me, great daughter of the leader.” Lightpaw thought to herself, her tail bristling. “I can’t even catch a mouse to feed my starving clan.”

“Lightpaw” A muffled voice called out. Lightpaw swung her head around, catching sight of her sister with a thrush in her jaws. Lightpaw grinned at Pouncepaw, a purr rising in her throat. She quickly moved her bitten paw behind the other.

Cloverfoot padded behind Pouncepaw, her long legs making quick work of the snowy ground. She nudged Pouncepaw in the side. “Good work apprentice.” The deputy mewed, smiling at the smaller cat. Lightpaw noted the lack of prey in the deputies jaws. It made her feel a bit better about herself. She felt bad for thinking like that. It would be better if the deputy was carrying something. Starclan knew the clan needed it.

Pouncepaw nodded at her mentor’s words, her sleek tail twinning around her feet. Her sister was obviously freezing. Lightpaw smirked. Her sister may be a better hunter then she was, but she didn’t have her thick coat.

Cloverfoot caught her eye and winked at her like she knew what Lightpaw was thinking. Cloverfoot herself had grown a thick coat for the winter, though not as full as Lightpaws.

Lightpaw could feel the blood rush to the tips of her ears at the deputies attention. She had been a little bit jealous of Pouncepaw at the ceremony. She knew now she just would have made a fool out of herself in front of the deputy with her overzealousness to please her. Whenever Cloverfoot was in her presence Lightpaw turned into a bit of a mess. The deputy was just so cool…

She hadn’t really been surprised when Tigerstar had chosen the deputy to be one of his kits mentors. She had been surprised he hadn’t taken it upon himself to train them! Her father had always been proud of his kits and carved out a path for them. He wanted the clan to look on them as the kits of a leader, not the kits of some interclan affair.

Lightpaws ears pricked as she heard footsteps behind her. She picked up the sharp scent of her own mentor. She turned around to try to catch sight of her. Bright green eyes where the only thing visible as Snowbird walked towards her.

Snowbird assessed her coldly, bringing a snow white paw up to her mouth to groom. Lightpaw had grown larger then the tall she-cat in the last moon, but the ex-queen still looked at her as if she was smaller.

Snowbird was tough, but she was what she needed as a mentor. Lightpaw had been obnoxious and proud as a kit. If she had an easygoing mentor she would have continued on being oblivious and sheltered. Snowbird and her mate Scorchfur where some of Tigerstar’s loudest opposition in the clan. Snowbird was a bit cold, but she had also been a mother to many cats in the clan. When she wasn’t scolding Lightpaw, she felt like a second mother.

“Scratch that,” Lightpaw thought. “When she’s scolding me is when she feels the most like a second mother.” Lightpaw knew the stern old queen cared about her despite herself. She was making her into the best warrior she could be.

“Let’s go and collect the prey I buried,” Snowbird said, flicking her tail towards the sky clan border.

“You caught something! That’s amazing!” Lightkit said a bit too enthusiastically, nearly tripping over her paws as she raced after Snowbird. She nudged Snowbirds narrow shoulders friendly.

Snowbird gasped in mock indignation, but it quickly turned into a purr. Lightpaw purred right back as the two she-cats tried to ignore their empty belly’s.


End file.
